Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on June 23, 2013

The coordinators of Madras Week recently announced that Madras Day, August 22, will this year be celebrated as what it has become, Madras Week, from August 18 to 25. But they went on to add that this years celebrations, as usual by institutions volunteering to arrange talks, quizzes, exhibitions, contests etc., already has programmes planned from the first week of August to the first week of September. And they hoped that even more institutions will volunteer to join what looks like becoming a Madras Month. The more the merrier, they say, if it means creating a greater awareness about this First City of Modern India. And one of those firsts, they pointed out, is the Corporation of Madras, the oldest municipal body in any British territory outside the United Kingdom.

This year it is also a significant year for the Madras Corporation. It is the 325th year of the Corporation beginning to function and it is also the 100th year of it moving into its new home, Ripon Building, after starting work in the Fort and then in premises in Errabalu Chetty Street. Two reasons to celebrate and particularly if those celebrations can be a year-long one that could be flagged off from the restored Ripon Building on September 29.

It was on that date in 1688 that the Corporation first sat, after the mayor and twelve Aldermen had come in grand procession to what was called the Town Hall. In this building in Fort St George, the first mayor of Madras, Nathaniel Higginson, read out the Royal Charter issued by King James II in December 1687 and thanked Sir Josiah Child, the Chairman of the East India Company, for seeing the need of a municipal body for a city with a population at the time of about 300,000 and making it become a reality. Left unsaid was that though the rather dictatorial Agent (Governor) heading the Companys Council in Madras carried out Londons orders, Elihu Yale was not at all in favour of the establishment of the Corporation, which he felt took away some of his powers. Curiously, Madrass first Mayor was American-born, like Yale; Connecticut where he was born and Massachusetts where Yale was born were British colonies at the time.

The first aldermen were three Englishmen, a French merchant, two Portuguese merchants, three Jewish diamond traders, also of Portuguese origin, and three Gentu merchants. The Gentu (a term use for both Telugus and Tamils at the time) were Chinna Venkatadri (younger brother of Beri Thimmappa who helped found the settlement), Mudda Viranna and Alangatha Pillai. Higginson also established, under the Charter, a Mayors Court to try minor offences and one of the Gentus always sat on the Bench with one of the Europeans when an Indian was being tried or was the victim. It was with such healthy practices that the Corporation of Madras got off to a start. Surely an event and an institution to celebrate.

During Madras Week a few years ago the Corporation held, in a shamianaed-enclosure on its lawns, an exhibition of photographs and prints narrating some of its story. Perhaps it should think of an even-better mounted exhibition during Madras Week this year and let it grow into a September celebration that would climax on September 29th and continue through the year ahead.

The father of Loyola

It was recently announced that Loyola College, Madras, was to be recognised as one of five stand alone colleges in the country who would be allowed to grant its own degrees. No one would be happier than this than someone up there, Pere Franois Bertrand, better known as Fr. Francis Bertram, the founding father of Loyola.

Father Bertram was French-born but there were many who took him to be English, as much for his speech as his knowledge of English Literature. This love of English and skills in Mathematics he acquired at St. Josephs College, Trichinopoly, to which the Jesuit Order in India sent him. Much as he wanted to do his degree in Literature, the Jesuit schools needed teachers of science and so mathematics became his major at St. Josephs. And natural science became his hobby; an unfortunate one when to his hearing-impaired left ear was added a blinded eye when a thorn pierced it while he searched for insects amidst prickly pears.

These handicaps nor his constantly indifferent health did not, however, slow him down. From 1896 till 1925, he taught Mathematics at St. Josephs as he progressed towards becoming Rector and Principal of the College. This progress was interrupted with spells at Sacred Heart College, Kodaikanal, where he was sent to study Philosophy, the Jesuit institution in Kurseong where he studied Theology, and the seminary in Ranchi where the focus was on spiritual training. Brother Bertram soon afterwards became Father Bertram.

Fr. Bertrams stewardship of St.Josephs came soon after the announcement in 1904 of University reforms. He not only implemented these reforms but by the Great War had made those seeking a St. Josephs education grow from 300 to 1000. And provide a steady stream of teachers of science, history and economics for all the colleges of the Presidency and for many beyond. Then came the mission to start a college in Madras.

The rest is here:
Will Corporation celebrate too?

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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